Railway car truck link



22, 1964 G. E. GROSSNICKLE 3,162,275

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK LINK Filed March 15, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Guam saws/0cm: MfM

ATTOKNE Y 22, 1954 a. E. GROSSNICKLE 3,162,275

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK LINK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1962 3 Iii/IIQVIl/l/Id "I'll,"

llfli INVENTOR. 6.45 040 E. ems/0cm ATTORNEY 1366- 1964 G. E. GROSSNICKLE RAILWAY CAR TRUCK LINK 4 Sheets-Sheet 55 Filed March 15, 1962 R M m M xi kllm INVENTOR. 44mm 5. emu/00,41:

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ATTORNE' Y Dec. 22, 1964 Filed March l5, 19

G. E. GROSSNICKLE RAILWAY CAR TRUCK LINK 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,llllmrlll ZZZ I 5 INVENTOR.

some E. GROW/6K1! BY My W ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,162,275 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,275 RAILWAY CAR TRUCK LINK Garold E. Grossnickle, South Bend, Ind., assignor to The Bendix Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mm. 15, 1962, Ser. N0. 179,860 3 Claims. (Cl. 188-129) This invention relates to novel snubbing means between a railway car truck and car body.

It is a principal object of the invention to reduce noise and vibration of a truck assembly through the incorporation of a snubbing link assembly between the car and truck assembly.

It is also an object to restrict the motion of a pivotally mounted truck assembly while isolating vibrations of said truck assembly from the associated car body.

Another object is to provide a vibration damper capable of providing a maximum travel stop between a swinging and non-swinging member.

Still another object is to provide a friction control unit comprising adjustably mounted friction shoes.

Other and further objects may be readily ascertained by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a railway car truck incorporating a link in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan of a railway car truck incorporating a link in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal partial section of a link assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is an end section taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 of the link assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal broken section of a modified link assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is an end section taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 of the modified link assembly of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal section of another modification of the link assembly in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1, a railroad truck 10 is shown to which is pivotally mounted an air suspended bolster 12 which is in turn secured to the car body 14. As is also seen in FIGURE 1, a tension-compression link 16 is connected, as at 18, to the end of the bolster and, as at 20, to the car frame. This linkage fixes the bolster with respect to the car frame, and a similarly extending link is operatively connected with the other end of the bolster 12. In a modification, as presented by FIGURE 2, the snubbing links are afiixed to the opposite ends of the bolster 12 to extend in opposite directions. 4

With such a snubbing connection between a truck bolster 12 and a car body 14, the vibrations and noise from the truck are dissipated by relative movement between inner and outer members of the snubbing unit 16, as will be hereinafter discussed.

With reference to FIGURE 3, the details of the link 16 are more clearly presented. More particularly, the link 16 is seen to comprise an elongated metal casing 26 which is attached to an end fitting 28 in any suitable manner, such as by welding, as shown at 30. At the opposite end of said casing a collar 32 is welded to said casing. However, other means of attaching the collar, such as by threading the casing and the collar, may be utilized to permit ready access to the parts operatively arranged within the cylinder or casing 26.

Within the casing 26, as may be more readily ascertained by FIGURE 4, are a plurality of lining plates 34 7 and 38, which function as friction shoes for friction lining surfaces 42 and 44, respectively. The friction linings 42 and 44 may be bonded, riveted, etc. to the plates 34 and 38, and are preferably of a ceramic and metallic lining material. However, it is not to be construed that this invention is limited to the use of a ceramic and metallic lining composition, as such is merely recited to show the need for a lining material which has a near constant coefiicient of friction. The requirement for a lining having a nearly constant coefi'icient of friction is not, how ever, to be treated lightly, for it is necessary that a constant static and dynamic coeflicient of friction be obtained to hold the dynamic or moving force approximately equal to the static or breakaway force. In addition, it may be readily appreciated that the shoe and lining design lend to ease of replacement should a removable collar or other type of end cap be provided.

The lining plates 34 and 38 are provided with a plug as at 48, which is fitted within a bore 36 within a rectangular block 40, having a plurality of drilled passages receiving a plurality of springs 46. The plug 48 merely serves to hold the shoe plates 34 and 38 in the longitudinal direction while permitting plates 34 and 38 freedom of movement in a direction to engage the friction linings 42 and 44 with the inner walls of the casing 26. As may also be seen with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, the springs 46 urge the plates 34 and 38 with the linings 42 and 44, respectively, outwardly to hold the two lined plates against the opposing inside walls of the casing. The desired load of the inner member relative to the outer casing 26 in opposition to tensile or compressive forces can be obtained by varying the spring loading and lining area making the unit quite versatile.

The elongated rectangular block 40 is formed with end portions 50 and 52. The end 50 has a projecting male portion 51 surrounded by a bearing sleeve 54, which end and bearing sleeve are adapted to reciprocate within the bore 56 of the end fitting 28. The end fitting 28 limits the travel of the block 40 in one direction. The end 52 is internally threaded to receive an externally threaded rod 58, which is welded at 60, which weld also joins plates 62, only one of which is shown, at the top and bottom of member 40. These plates 62 aid in removing torque by their direct contact with casing 26 from the linings 42 and 44 when the units 16 are removed or installed by being rectangular in shape to engage the inner walls of casing 26.

A second bearing member 64 slides over the externally threaded rod 58 and abuts the end piece 52 on one end and a nut 66 on the other. Since the bearing member 64 extends about the rod 58 in the area where said rod emerges from within the casing 26, the bearing member serves to not only support said rod within said casing, but to also center the rod 58. There is also shown associated with the bearing member 64 a fluorocarbon sleeve 68 mounting said bearing member 64 within the collar 32 and forming a wiper seal acting in both directions.

As above stated, the assembled unit 16 has the rod 58 and the end fitting 28 connected to the car body 14 and the truck bolster 12. In addition, such connection may involve rubber grommets in the connections 18 and 20 which will aid the function of unit 16 by acting as absorption members for minor shocks, etc.

In operation, the mechanical shock absorbing tensioncompression link receives shock loads in excess of the absorption limit of the rubber grommets and dissipates said loads by the action of the friction linings 42 and 44 on the inner walls of the casing 26 as one side of the truck passes over a rail joint or the like. As the wheel on the opposite side of the truck passes the next rail joint, the cycle is reversed, thus pulling or pushing the damper type link 16 back to its initial position.

The link 16 may be modified as in FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6. V In-more detail, the link'of FIGURE and FIGURE 6 shows a spring carrier assembly 70 of simplier detail having a stop collar ,72 welded as at 74 to the spring carrier assembly 70 that urges friction linings 76 against the inner walls of a casing 78. It is also intended that the weld 74 attach the collar 72 to a translatable member 82. The translatable member 82 is supported in the casing 78 byt-he bearing member 84 held to said casjing as by the'set screws 86, and the casing is sealed about said translatable member 82 by a flexible bellows'type seal 88 to prevent foreign particles from entering saidcasing.

As seen in FIGURE 6, the spring carrier assembly 70 V is further modified bysecuring thereto, as by rivets 90,

a pair of spacer blocks 92 to prevent misalignment of said spring carrier assembly and the friction linings 76'.

As for the modified link of FIGURE 7, the principal spring carrier assembly 98. A finger 102 is formed on carrier 98 to connect the spring carrier assembly with the surrounding fixed structure by-a gibheaded finger assembly comprising fingers 100 and 102 having normalprojections 104 and 106, respectively, which heads abut to form a tension stop for said unit. heads 104. and 106 impinge on surrounding structure in a spaced relation to form a limit for such movement.

In addition, the unit of FIGURE 7 utilizes the inner walls 107 of the cylinder 108 as an alignment and bearing surface for, the spring carrier 98 as well as for afriction surface for the friction discs or buttons 94.

Thus, it is seen that a'link structure is presented for uniting at least two structures in ,such a way that .vibrations from one to the other are isolated by mechanical In compression, the T dissipation means and that one structure may move in a limited range'with respect to the other.

As other and further applications of-the present inven- 7 tion are possible by those skilled in 'the artrelating to" a slidable carrier assembly attached to said rod and V reciprocably inserted in said cylinder, said assembly including -aone-piece'block having drilled openings, a plurality of plates overlying said block, a plurality of spring means within said openings compressed between said plates and means to hold said plates axially on said block, which means allows said plates to move in a normal direction to the axis of said block;

a lost motion connection means joining one end of.

in said cylinder and at'the same time provide. a solidv 4 v I mechanical link after the allowed movement has been experienced; a means to join the other. end of said assembly to said rod; f a closure for, the other end of said cylinder opposite the end of said cylinder that is connected with said assembly, which closure is adapted to slidably and sealingly support said rod;

a plurality of friction linings joined tovsaid plates to be thrust against said cylinder whereupon said assembly is frictionally restrained'in said cylinder; and

bearing means on said assembly for holding said assembly centrally of said cylinder to prevent structural deformation and failure of said shockabsorber.

2. A snubber unit comprising:

a hollow cylinder provided with stop means and closure means; v 1

a plurality of friction surfaces carried by a member 0 having means to resiliently urge said friction surfaces to operatively engage the inner walls of said cylinder;

a force transmitting rod affixed to said member for reciprocating said friction surfaces; 7

' a rod bearing means operatively connected to said clos ure means and said rod to slidably support said rod and said member; and i a bearing means affixed tosaid member carrying said friction surfaces to locate said friction surfaces in said cylinder.

3. A snubber uuit comprising:

a hollow cylinder. provided with stop ure means; i v

a, plurality of friction surfaces carried by a member having means to resiliently urge said friction surfaces to operatively engage the inner' walls of said cylinder, said friction surfaces arranged for reciprocation within said cylinder as limited by said stop'means; V

a plurality of end pieces associated with said member I, carrying said friction surfaces, which end pieces are arranged to abut said stop means; and g a plurality of bearing members formingsaid bearing means and associated with said end pieces to center said friction'surfacecarrying member in'said cylinder and to prevent misalignment of said friction sur- ,'faces and their carrying member when said snubbing unit is ina horizontal attitude.

means and clos- References Cited in the file of this patent I v UNITED STATES PATENTS' 2,139,666 Bogart .Dec. 13, 1938 2,746,744 .Blattner' 1 'May 22, 1956' 2,747,696 Blattner Ma -29, 1956 2,908,230 -o6t. 13, 1959 3,020, 57 Dean Feb. 13; 1962 VVFOREIGNPATENTS. 

1. A MECHANICAL SHOCK ABSORBER COMPRISING: A CYLINDER; A ROD; A SLIDABLE CARRIER ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO SAID ROD AND RECIPROCABLY INSERTED IN SAID CYLINDER, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A ONE-PIECE BLOCK HAVING DRILLED OPENINGS, A PLURALITY OF PLATES OVERLYING SAID BLOCK, A PLURALITY OF SPRING MEANS WITHIN SAID OPENINGS COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND MEANS TO HOLD SAID PLATES AXIALLY ON SAID BLOCK, WHICH MEANS ALLOWS SAID PLATES TO MOVE IN A NORMAL DIRECTION TO THE AXIS OF SAID BLOCK; A LOST MOTION CONNECTION MEANS JOINING ONE END OF SAID ASSEMBLY TO ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER WHICH CONNECTION WILL ALLOW SAID ASSEMBLY LIMITED MOVEMENT IN SAID CYLINDER AND AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDE A SOLID MECHANICAL LINK AFTER THE ALLOWED MOVEMENT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED; A MEANS TO JOIN THE OTHER END OF SAID ASSEMBLY TO SAID ROD; A CLOSURE FOR THE OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER OPPOSITE THE END OF SAID CYLINDER THAT IS CONNECTED WITH SAID ASSEMBLY, WHICH CLOSURE IS ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY AND SEALINGLY SUPPORT SAID ROD; A PLURALITY OF FRICTION LININGS JOINED TO SAID PLATES TO BE THRUST AGAINST SAID CYLINDER WHEREUPON SAID ASSEMBLY IS FRICTIONALLY RESTRAINED IN SAID CYLINDER; AND BEARING MEANS ON SAID ASSEMBLY FOR HOLDING SAID ASSEMBLY CENTRALLY OF SAID CYLINDER TO PREVENT STRUCTURAL DEFORMATION AND FAILURE OF SAID SHOCK ABSORBER. 